Castaways
by forever-lost-in-paradise
Summary: Following Garcia's breakup with Kevin, Morgan comes up with a plan to woo her...with disastrous and tragic results. Yeah. It's a 'shipwrecked' story that hopefully will abandon the cliches.
1. Chapter 1

**Castaways: Chapter One**

_So, here is the story I promised readers of my most recent story: an M/G shipwreck story! And no, the whole 'shipwreck' thing isn't really a spoiler…so, without any more useless blathering from me, onto the introductory chapter! Takes place post-7x17 but before season finale/Prentiss leaving (boo!)_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own CM. And if I did, would I really waste my time pairing M/G on fanfiction instead of putting them together on the real show?**_

"I-I'm just not ready," Penelope Garcia stuttered out, tears blurring her vision. Kevin Lynch's shoulders visibly slumped in a combination of bitter disappointment and subtle, undefined anger.

"Yeah, well, I am," he muttered sourly, doing an about face and briskly striding away from her.

"Kevin…." she breathed to his retreated form, feeling her insides begin to curdle within her. _She'd screwed up big time, hadn't she?_

"Hey. You okay, baby girl?" Derek Morgan asked as he cautiously approached her dejected figure.

"You saw all that?" she whispered with a tear-clogged voice. "Thought you were gonna let us do 'what us guys do'."

"Yeah….." was all he said in response. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"Don't be. I'm the one who rejected him. It was all me. This is my fault." Her words came out rushed and grief-stricken.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Why do you think it was your fault? From where I'm standing, you made the decision that was best for you." Derek let the rest of his thoughts "_and best for me, too" _go unspoken.

"Yeah, but what did I screw up in the meantime?" Penelope moaned.

"I don't think you screwed up anything. In fact, if you'd said 'yes' to him when you weren't really ready for that kind of a commitment, _that's _when you would have screwed everything up. Maybe it's for the best."

"Derek, how can it be for the best when we might have just broken up?"

"If you two really love each other, you'll find a way to work it out."

_If you two really love each other. _It was a question that Penelope had been battling internally for quite sometime now, if she were honest with herself. She'd come to realize that her relationship with Kevin could best be defined as…._safe. _It was safe to share a life with him because she hadn't surrendered all of it to him. And, most importantly, the relationship, up until this point, hadn't required her to give her whole heart to him. Because, deep down, she knew that Kevin Lynch could never completely have her heart. Derek Morgan, whether intentional or not, had long ago won it.

"Well, about that…." Penelope mumbled, returning to the present.

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked, confusion apparent in his eyes. "You _do _love him, right?" Selfishly, he wanted her to say no. He wanted her to say that she had never been in love with Kevin Lynch, that she'd made a big mistake in dating him in the first place. He wanted her to say that she'd always loved someone else…but now certainly would not be the time that she would admit to that, in light of the events that had just unfolded.

"I guess I do….I'm not as sure now…..everything is really confusing…." she mumbled. "I think I need to go home."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea. You want me to drive you?"

"Thanks, handsome, but you don't have to. I'm a big girl."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I have to make sure that you're going to be okay." Penelope seemed to mull over his words for a minute before nodding.

"Thank you," she murmured, only partially audible. "You're a true friend."

"You know I'm here, baby. Whenever you need me."

The drive to Penelope's apartment was subdued and quiet. Derek allowed his best friend to be alone with her thoughts, but that didn't stop him from more-than-occasionally glancing at her to make sure that she hadn't silently broken down.

"Thanks again, Derek," she whispered when they reached the door. "What did I do to deserve a great guy like you to be my best friend?"

"I dunno…what did I do to deserve a great girl like you to be my best friend?" he countered, a teasing smile on his face.

"I'm going to be okay," she whispered, detecting the trace of worry evident in his eyes.

"Yeah, I know you will be."

"Derek…..I-I…I love you." His heart leapt when he heard the words come out of her mouth. Oh, how he wished she meant them in the way that he did.

"Love you too, baby girl. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Penelope's own heart quickened at what he'd just said…if only…..he meant it the way she did.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." She opened the door to her apartment and slipped inside without so much as another backwards glance.

Derek stood at her door for another few minutes, his feet unable to carry him back to his vehicle. So much had happened in such a small window of time. The question now posed to him was "When do I make my move?". It had to be soon, as he didn't want another Kevin to steal her away from him, but not soon enough that she didn't have enough time to recover fully from the breakup.

_It was a question he'd never really had to ask himself_, he realized. In the past, so many of his so-called 'relationships' with women consisted of a simple pickup and one-night stand. Love, he convinced himself, should not be a factor in any relationship he had. It was too complicated, too burdening for the free-spirited personality he had when away from work.

And then he'd met Penelope Garcia and everything changed. Suddenly, he was face-to-face with someone he would be willing to risk it all for. Someone he could love. Someone who he could imagine spending the rest of his life with.

Now that she was finally 'available' after several years of being wrapped around computer geek Kevin Lynch, Derek knew he didn't want to screw up his chances. This was it.

And, suddenly, he had an idea. An idea to-hopefully-woo Penelope and make her realize that the decision to reject Kevin Lynch was the best decision she could have made.

_Unfortunately for Derek, he didn't realize that his idea would bring them to the brink of death…..or perhaps push them over it completely._

_**Okay…Chapter One is complete…..it basically sets the back story for future chapters. Thanks for reading! I'd love it if you would drop a review, but I'm not going to hold chapters hostage if you don't (that is ridiculous and trite IMHO). I will update when I can.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Hey, so I just wanted to thank the people that reviewed (I think I replied to all but my mobile device started acting up so I'm not sure if I was successful on that front) and alerted and favorited. It warms my heart._

"He drove you home, Garcia. Don't you think he's trying to tell you something?" JJ prodded. Penelope shrugged and sipped her half-caf-extra-shot-venti-two-pump-nonfat-hold-the-whip-caramel-macchiato.

"Yeah, JJ. He's trying to tell me that he's there for me."

"And…"

"And that he's a good friend."

"And….."

"And…?" Penelope knew exactly where this conversation was going, but she feigned ignorance.

"Oh my lord, Penelope, you know what I mean!" JJ cried out, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Don't play dumb!"

"Jaytch, it's not really like that between us, you know that." JJ shook her head and took a massive swig of her chai latte.

"Do I know that?" she asked, a touch of playfulness in her tone.

"Yes!" Penelope hissed quietly. "Derek and I have the most platonic relationship on the planet, and I don't see that changing any time soon."

"Just because you don't think it will change doesn't mean you don't want it to," JJ countered quietly.

"I guess it doesn't." Faced with a truth she couldn't rebuke, Penelope could do nothing but agree with her friend.

"I know Derek doesn't want to be the 'rebound' for you, but that doesn't mean that he isn't already making a move on you."

"Keep dreaming, JJ. Have you taken a good look at him lately?"

"Probably not as many times as you have," JJ teased, earning herself a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Well, not that I have to remind you, but Derek Morgan is a chocolate god of thunder…he's like a human ship of gorgeousness. I'm nowhere near his league. Besides, he doesn't do relationships. One-night stands are about as serious of a relationship that he wants."

"People can change, Garcia. You know that. And in the time I've known Derek, I can assure you that he has definitely become softer around the edges, especially with you. Plus, in case you haven't noticed, we haven't seen a woman draped over him in quite a while. Now, why do you think that might be?" The question seemed to be rhetorical, so the two women sat in silence for a few minutes, Penelope allowing JJ's words to run around her head.

"So if he makes a move on me…."

"It's not really a question of 'if', but of 'when'…..and he may have already started. Penelope, I can't tell you what to do, but you and I both know that you've dreamed of this day for so long. So just….let whatever happens happen. Don't lose your chance of getting what you truly want."

"You're right, I guess. How is it that you always know what to say…..even though I'm supposedly older and wiser than you?"

"Maybe it's because I'm a mom now…maybe it's made me more sensitive or something." Suddenly, JJ's eyes widened as they fixed on a figure entering the coffee shop. "Hey, don't look now…but he's coming towards us."

"Hey, ladies," Derek greeted as he slid into their booth, sitting right next to Penelope. "Mind if I join you?"

"No, not at all," JJ said. "Hey, guys, sorry to run out on you, but I just realized I forgot to pick up something at the store for Henry."

"It's okay, JJ. I can keep Penelope company for you," Derek responded with a small wink in Garcia's direction. JJ nodded at her friends, giving Penelope the _you should thank me for this _look as she exited the coffee shop.

"What brings you here this morning, handsome?" Penelope asked abruptly.

"Can't a man just order a coffee without an inquisition?" he replied, a smile playing on his lips. "No, really, I came in here because I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, ask away," Garcia said, trying to keep her voice even and her heart steady. _Don't get ahead of yourself, Penelope. No need to get your hopes up for something special._

"It's just…..I was wondering…..since you seem to be a little down since you broke up with Kevin…..if you'd like to go somewhere with me?"

"Go somewhere?" Penelope asked, immediately reprimanding her brain for going to the possible dirtier meanings of what he had said.

"Uh, more specifically, on a trip. With me. In a boat. Like a getaway." His words came out nervous and stuttered, uncharacteristic for the usually-confident Derek Morgan.

"A boat? You telling me that, in addition to the four properties you own, you also have a boat?"

"It's nothing much, baby girl, just something I won at an auction a couple years ago. I had to fix it up a lot for it to even be functional. I was thinking that we could just take a mini-vacation one day and go sailing. Believe it or not, but I am pretty decent at navigating the waters."

"So….it would just be you, me, and a boat for one day?" Penelope asked.

"Yeah…..is that a problem? You afraid my intentions aren't pure?" he winked.

"Hardly," she tossed back. "All right. I'm game. But, tell me, would we be sailing _to _anywhere?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. See, the thing I love most about sailing is the unpredictability of where we'll end up. Don't worry, I won't get us hopelessly lost in the water or anything. I've got gear that can guide us back to shore and all that. But I don't like setting out with any particular destination in mind. It's too limiting."

"Wow. Derek, that is surprisingly profound of you to say. Never would have pegged you as being that free-spirited."

"Guess I'm just full of surprises, baby girl," Derek replied, eyes twinkling. For a moment, the two stared deep in each other's eyes…leaving so much unsaid….simply allowing the sparks to fly…..

"Are you going to order coffee or not?" a testy waitress snapped, bringing the pair back to earth and to the realization that she'd been standing there for the past three minutes, completely neglected.

Because they'd only had eyes for each other…..


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_A/N: So many reasons why this hasn't been updated in forever: surgery, mini-vay, band camp, a plethora of AP Calculus assignments…..shall I name more? Gah, I feel so bad but there really wasn't too much I could do about it. You have my thanks if you are still willing to read this even though it's been so long between updates! I never will give up on a fanfiction story without an ending of some kind, if only because I know how awful that is for the reader, having been on the receiving end of such treatment. So even if months pass, guys, don't worry, I'll be back!_

"We're pretty damn lucky a new case didn't come in for us," Penelope remarked as she and Derek drove to the dock. "You know you wouldn't be allowed to leave if there was some psycho hacking people up."

"There's always someone hacking people up, you know that," Derek replied. "I can't be expected to put my entire life on hold every day. Besides, I'm not the only profiler on the team. As I've told you before, the team can handle one case without me. And this time, they don't have to even do that. Just paperwork."

"Bet you're bummed that you're missing that and that you have to spend time with little ole me," she mumbled, only partially sarcastic.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" he asked, not missing the nuances in her tone of voice one bit.

"Like it or not, Agent Derek Morgan, this is basically a pity date…..if you can call it a date at all. I think it's really sweet that you feel bad for me after what happened between me and Kevin, but you shouldn't have to go to any trouble just to make me feel better."

"Baby girl, this isn't any trouble at all. You know I love spending time with you. Yes, I want this trip to make you feel better, but I also know it will make me feel better as well. I care a lot about you, Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, so your pain is my pain. Got that?"

"I guess so. And I love spending time with you, too, so even if this is a pity date, I'll sure have a hell of a good time anyway."

"That's the spirit!" Derek quipped, flashing her a cheeky grin.

"Don't be a smartass. How far are we from the dock, anyway?"

"We probably have another twenty minutes or so. Not that far."

The rest of the drive was spent in a pondering silence. Both wondered exactly how the day would pan out in terms of taking their already-unique relationship further. Derek certainly did not want to go to bed that night with regrets. Even if it meant rejection, he wanted to lay out at least some of the cards on the table. Penelope, on the other hand, was not sure she wanted to confess her feelings at all. _It's too soon_, she reasoned to herself. _Derek Morgan is not going to be a rebound for me_.

Arriving at the pier, Penelope felt further conflicted with her feelings when Derek opened the car door for her, an act that screamed "I LOVE YOU, BABY GIRL" to her…..or maybe it was all in her love-crazed imagination.

"You don't have to do that," she commented as she exited the vehicle, though she couldn't prevent the current-colored blush that permeated across her face.

"No, but I want to, so hush up," he replied, eyes twinkling at her with an irresistible spark that, for so long, had kept her world spinning on his axis. After unloading their necessary supplies (packed lunches, water bottles, a crude first-aid kit—"just in case", Derek had assured her when she asked him why he was acting with such caution, and ponchos if they grew weary of the sea spray pelting them), they linked arms and began to walk along the wooden-yet-secure boardwalk.

"So…..which boat is yours?" Penelope asked, eyes roaming along the expanse of water. The glassy sea seemed to be swollen with some sort of unquenchable pride in its own beauty and might. Small waves licked the sandy plateau, froth burrowing into the beige grains as the remaining water was abducted by tidal pulls and yanked into the blue-green depths once more.

"That one," Derek pointed. Following his finger, Penelope caught a glimpse of a majestic, albeit small, sailboat. The sails seemed to be pointing the way to God, their depth of white nearly blinding. Everything about the boat appeared to be new, even though Derek had told her he'd purchased it around four years ago. It occurred to Penelope that he may have cleaned it…just for this trip. For her. _No. _She shoved these thoughts away. He wouldn't have…..there was no way he truly _liked _her like that…..

"It's amazing," she breathed, hoping her tone conveyed her feelings more than her words ever could.

"I thought the same thing when I first saw it. Something about it just seemed…..right…you know?" Derek hoped Penelope picked up on the double meaning of his words. To his dismay, she merely nodded, none of her body language revealing any of her thoughts.

"So…..we just get in the boat and go?" she asked after a few moments in which the only sound that punctuated the air was that of their feet slapping the wood.

"Not so fast, sweetheart. I know I'm going to sound like your dad or something when I say this, but we really should go pick up some life jackets from the shack over there. I really don't foresee anything happening, but I don't want to put you in danger. The walk isn't long at all." They made their way to the rather-dilapidated shack to procure said life jackets.

"You ready?" Derek asked her as they finally approached his boat. He hopped in and held out his hand for her to take. Heart palpitating inside her chest, Penelope laced her fingers between his and stepped in, feeling the steady lilt of the water under the sturdy bottom of the boat.

"Ready," she swallowed. And, in a way, she was. She was ready to sail for a day with Derek Morgan...if that was really all this was.

It wasn't.

For Derek Morgan, this sailing trip was his golden opportunity.

For Penelope Garcia, this sailing trip was only a reminder of what she wanted but could never have.

For both of them, this sailing trip would be so much more than what it appeared to be on the outside.

And even more than that…as clouds gathered in the distance.


End file.
